Elena Ferrante (Italy) – The Story of the Lost Child (Europa Editions)

Translator: Ann Goldstein

Han Kang (South Korea) – The Vegetarian (Portobello Books)

Translator: Deborah Smith

Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) – A Strangeness in My Mind (Faber & Faber)

Translator: Ekin Oklap

Robert Seethaler (Austria) – A Whole Life (Picador)

Translator: Charlotte Collins

Yan Lianke (China) – The Four Books (Chatto & Windus)

Translator: Carlos Rojas

The shortlisted authors and translators receive £1,000 each.

The winner of the £50,000 prize (shared equally by the author and the translator) will be announced at a dinner in London's Victoria & Albert Museum on May 16th. The big question is will 'Elena Ferrante' - the resolutely pseudonymous Italian author - show up?

I would like to take this opportunity to add my condolences to the family and friends of Kevin Peterson a.k.a. KevinfromCanada, one of the best literary bloggers and commentators, who died last month. Canadian literature has lost a great champion.